The Sonnet

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Transcript of The Sonnet

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ggA My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;B Coral is far more red than her lips' red;A If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;B If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.C I have seen roses damasked, red and white,D But no such roses see I in her cheeks;C And in some perfumes is there more delightD Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.E I love to hear her speak, yet well I knowF That music hath a far more pleasing sound;E I grant I never saw a goddess go;F My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.G And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rareG As any she belied with false compare.The word SONNETcomes from the Italian word"sonnetto"meaning "little song"The form was probably "invented" byGiacomo da Lentini in the 13th century.Other sonnet writers included Dante Alighieri and Michaelangelo.

However, the sonnet was made famous byanother Italian--Petrarch was bornin Abruzza, Italy,in 1304.Petrarch wrote manyof his sonnets for a mysterious"Laura" who could have beenLaura de Noves.She was married,and not interested.The popularity of the form in England eventuallyled to a new versionof the sonnet,called, theEnglish Sonnet.Francesco Petrarch(At least he got a sonnet formnamed after him -- the Italian, or"Petrarchan" sonnet.)Poor Francesco.(This iswhereShakespearecomes in....)

wrote at least 154 sonnets,mostly on the subject of love, and became the most famous English-speaking sonnet writer.Once Shakespeare got intothe sonnet-writing business,Petrarch enjoyed a lot less attention.Poor Francesco.There are three main things to rememberwhen writing an English sonnet.1. A traditional sonnet haslines.They're usuallygrouped togetherin one big stanza.2. Sonnets are written in

"Iambic Pentameter" is one of many different rhythm patterns used in poetry, called "meter".In fact, iambic pentameter is the most popularand the most common. Shakespeare used it allthe time, in his poetry AND his plays.An "iamb" is one foot in a lineof poetry that has first an unstressedsyllable, and then a stressed one.It's in the name, if you think about it:i - AM. i- AM.It's also commonly thought of as aheart beat rhythm.

How romantic.unless you're Francesco...."Pentameter" tells you how many"heartbeats" are in each line of poetry.In this case, "pent" or "penta" means "five", so there are five heartbeats in each line.And finally,3. A traditionalEnglish sonnet follows a specific rhyme scheme.How about an example?Here's one you've probablyheard before:byWilliam Shakespeare.

Listen for the rhythm, rhymescheme as Professor Snape reads.My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;Coral is far more red than her lips' red;If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.I have seen roses damasked, red and white,But no such roses see I in her cheeks;And in some perfumes is there more delightThan in the breath that from my mistress reeks.I love to hear her speak, yet well I knowThat music hath a far more pleasing sound;I grant I never saw a goddess go;My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.Did you notice the rhyme scheme?Here it is again:Now it's your turn!Your assignment is to write yourown English (or Italian, if you wanta challenge) sonnet.

If you like, you can model yourson Sonnet 130, in which youdescribe the subject by discussingwhat it ISN'T.I've heard some excellent NASCAR sonnets!Or you could write aboutunrequited love!The sonnet became unfashionable for a timebut regained popularity around thetime of the French Revolution (late 1700's).

The sonnet remains the most popularformal poetic form today.The last two lines (or "couplet") often give the reader a new look at the theme. Think of it as a "fresh twist".Note: The Italian sonnet employs a different rhyme scheme, and a"volta", or turning point locatedaround the 9th line. Sort of aproblem/resolution discussion...The words "and yet" signal something newthe speaker wants to say about his subject.The "fresh twist" we were talking about earlier!

TheItalian sonnet rhyme scheme looks like this:A few more well- known sonnet writers:WordsworthKeatsShelley(Or, ten syllables, in a pattern of unstressed-stressed,etc.)(English OR Italian, if you're an AP student)

(But you can chooseto write about any subject.Poor Francesco.(The first two are also true of the Italian sonnet)Sir Thomas Wyatt is credited with beingthe first to translate Petrarch's work into English

(of course)Here's a more modern example.This one is by Edna St. Vincent Millay,a 20th century poet.If I should learn, in some quite casual way,That you were gone, not to return again--Read from the back-page of a paper, say,Held by a neighbor in a subway train,How at the corner of this avenueAnd such a street (so are the papers filled)A hurrying man--who happened to be you--At noon to-day had happened to be killed,I should not cry aloud--I could not cryAloud, or wring my hands in such a place--I should but watch the station lights rush byWith a more careful interest on my face,Or raise my eyes and read with greater careWhere to store furs and how to treat the hair.AudenHeaneyNerudaMillayBishopABBAABBA CDECDEA quick review:In the 16th century, Shakespeare